Thimble



E. DART Nov. 13 1923..

THIMBLE Filed March 28 1922 IIIVE'HTOR ERIC DART.

ATToRnrcYf:

, will enable the user to the drawing in which Patented Nov. 13, 1923;

ERIC DART, 0F KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

THIMBLE.

Application filed March 28, 1922. Serial No. 547,526.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Euro DART, of the city of Kelowna, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thimbles, of which the following is the specification.

My invention in thimbles for use in knitting, crocheting and the like, which is devised to provide means of leading the wool or thread beyond the end of the finger in such a manner as pass the thread or wool more readily over the point of the knitting needle and to provide a means of tensioning the thread that the work may be done with an evenness that is not readily obtained except by those who are particularly well skilled in the art of knitting and crocheting.

It consists of the following essential parts; a thimble body adapted for use on the end of the finger, which may be perforated or otherwise as desired, a tubular member extending beyond the end of the thimble body and a spring leaf having an adjusting device thereon to tension the thread passing through the tube, and a pull throughwire for threading the material throughthe tubu-- lar member.

The device may be made of any metal, celluloid or other suitable material and may be ornamented as desired to suit the demands of the trade.

The device is more particularly shown in Fig. l is a view showing theuse of the device upon the hand.

Fig.3 is a perspective view of the thiinble showing a perforated body.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the tension spring.

Fig. 4 is a section showing ment of said spring.

Fig. 5 is a view showing a modification of the tensioning device.

Fig. 6 is a section showing the modification, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view showing a further modification.

Fig. 8 is a section showing the modification, Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view of the pull through.

Fig. 10 is a modification ot' the tensioning device.

Fig.

the adjust 11 is a "further modification.

relates to an improvement of an addi- Fig. 12 is a perspective view tional modification.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 represents the body of the thimble which may be made as a truncated cone or which may be closed at its outer end as desired, and which will preferably be perforated as at 2 to provide for ventilation and "for a better grip of the body 1 on the finger ot the user.

3 is a tube attached to the side of the body and extending lengthwise from its base to a position beyond the top thereof, said tube being curved outwardly from the body 1. substantially as shown. a is a cut away portion of the tube 3 running transversely of the tube and away from the body 1, 5 is a spring member secured to the body I. as at 6, and partially surrounding same, the outer end of the spring engaging out l of tube 3. i

7 is a ball washer slidably mounted on spring 5 which is disposed between tube 3 and spring end 6 for raising or lowerii'ig the spring within the cut away portion 4-. V

In the modification as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the cut away portion-of the tube is represented by the numeral. 8. 9 being a spring member attaching to the body having a tongue engaging the aperture 8 of tube, 11 being a thumb screw engaging a thread in spring 9, by which the spring tongue 10 is raised or lowered within the cut away portion 8. In the modification as shown in Figs. '7 and 8 the numeral 12 rep resents the cut away portion of tube. 1 3 being a plurality of pairs of projections pressed out of the body of the thimble to form a plurality of grooves in which ring is guided in its circumferential movement around the body.

The ring 14 is formed cam shaped. the greater length being circular to ride be tween the projections 13 of the thiinble body, and the cam shaped portion extending beyond the radius of the ring being adapted to slide endwise within the cut away portion 12 to engage to a greater or lesser degree with the thread passing through the tube.

I reserve the right to make my thiinble body with its spring member pressed on:- wardly from the body as a tongue and formed integrally therewith and to adopt means of adjusting the body diametrically to suit the varying sizes of fin er tips.

15 in Fig. 9, represents a light wire pull through having a ring 16 at one end tor gripping between the thumb and finger, and a hook 17 at its opposite end small enough to pass readily through the tube member of my device.

18 is one of a plurality of nipples, see Fig. 10, each having a thread 19 to engage a male thread on the outer end of the tubular member 20, the outer end of the nipple having a tapering bore as at 9.1,. each nipple having a bore of different diameter to act as a tension upon the various sizes oi wool or thread to be used.

22 in Fig. 11, represents a thumb screw projecting its point 23 into the bore oi the tubular member 2a to reduce the sectional area of the bore to restrict the passage of the thread through the tubular member Having described the several parts of my invention I will briefly explain its use.

The pull through 15 is inserted into the tubular member 3 from its point and is withdrawn bringing the end of the thread through the tube ready forms, the thimble body 1 is placed upon the finger with the tube 3 projecting on the underside of the finger and extending beyond the finger tip in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

It is found in practice that the up and down motion or the finger is invariably accompanied with a slight rotary motion, and with the extension of the tube the finger tip,,the above mentioned rotary motion is so increased as to loop the thread over the end of the knitting needle without con scious effort on the part of the user. The tube on account of its projection beyond the finger tip also enables the user to pass the wool over the end of the needle easily and allows the needle to be inserted into the work a sufiicient distance to prevent stitches being dropped accidentally. The thread is adjusted for tension by sliding the ball washer 7 axially around the thimble body, so that the spring is raised or lowered into the cut away portion 4 of tube 3 to bear as desired upon the thread passing therethrough.

What. I claim as my invention is:

1. In a thimble for knitting, the combination with the thinible body, a tubular member-carried by the body throughwhich the thread to be knitted has passage, and variable tensioning means disposed to'act upon that portion of the thread passing through the tube.

2-. In a thim'ble for knitting, the combination with the thimble body, of a notched tube carried by the body and through which the thread to be knitted has passage, and means extending through the notch for exerting tension on the thread passing through the tube.

8. In a, thimble for knitting, the combinationwith the body, of a tube carried by the body and having a curved upper end adapted to extend in proximity to the knitting point and through which the thread to beknitted has passage, and variable means for tensioningthe thread as it passes through the tube.

4. In a thim'ble for knit-ting, the combination with the body, of a notched tube carried by the body, a spring member extending circumferentially around the thimble and through the, notch of the tube, and means for adjustably holding the free end of the spring in relation to the thimble.

In a thimble fol-knitting, the combination with the body, of a notchedtube carried by the body, a spring member extending circumierentially' around the thinrble and through the notch of the tube, and a ball carried by the spring and adjustable longitudinally thereof in contact with the wall of the thimble body.

Dated at Vancouver, B. 0., this 2nd day of March, 1922.

I ERIC DART;

Witnesses:

FREDERICK S. WEAVER,- LILLIAN FINNILA. 

